Lingerie clasp



Feb. 259 E936. w. J. BOMBER LINGERIE CLASP Filed Deo. i, 1934 Patented Feb. 25, 1936 UNITED STATES ma., il.

PATENT OFFICE Y 3 Claims.

This invention relates to a lingerie clasp of a novel construction and which is adapted toy be quickly and conveniently applied to or removed from two or more adjacent and overlying fabric straps and which may conveniently slide along to any convenient position and to cause a novel portion of said clasp to clasp or engage the underseam of a dress or other garment. My invention has the following objects.

An important object of my invention is the provision of an economicallyconstructed clasp adapted `to be placed about one or more adjacent lsilk or other fabric bands or straps in such a manner that the same will yieldably pinch the same together, and which has integral means thereon for releasably engaging the inturned edge of the dress fabric, usually at the shoulder thereof.

A further object of my invention is to provide a loop-like clasp of novel construction made oi' a single piece of metal adapted to be slipped about two or more adjacent or superposed fabric straps and wherein a depressible free member is adapted, in one operation, to impinge the adjacent straps together and to simultaneously clamp its end portion to the underlying edge of the garment fabric immediately adjacent a seam, this causing the adjacent undergarment straps to be iirmly held together in proper position with re- Spect to the wearers shoulder and thereby preventing the constant slipping down of the under garment straps.

A further object of my invention is the provision of a lingerie clasp made of a single piece of metal which is adapted to simultaneously impinge .adjacent undergarment straps and underlying edges of the fabric of an outer garment and which will not perforate or otherwise damage the undergarment straps and which will not rip or otherwise damage the underlying edge of the outer garment adjacent a seam.

Other and further important objects of this invention will be apparent from the following specication and claims.

This invention (in the preferred form) is illustrated in the following speciiication and claims.

On the drawing:

Fig. 1 is an enlarged perspective view of my clasp showing the relative curvatures of the respective parts.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged end elevation taken from the right of Fig. 1, and illustrating in dotted lines the open position of the free member, a midway position thereof between open and closed position, and also the closed position.

longitudinal edge of said base member.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged end elevation of my invention illustrating the closed position thereof with respect to a pair of super-posed undergarment straps and the in-turned edge of an outer garment.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged side elevational view of my clasp showing in cross section a pair of superposed undergarment straps impinged therein.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged cross sectional view taken on line 5--5 of Fig. 4 and illustrating a longitu- 10 dinal cross section of the undergarment straps.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged illustration of my clasp when employed and in impinging position upon an in-turned outer garment seam of substantially tubular form. 15

Fig. 7 is a plan view illustrating the adjacent undergarment straps, an area of the outer garment and the relative position of my clasp in proper clamped position.

Fig. 8 is an end View illustrating the relative 2o position of the clasp with respect to the under- ,v garment strap, the in-turned edge of the outer garment and a wearers shoulder.

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary enlarged View of one edge of the lower concave portion of my clasp. 25 The reference numeral I 0 indicates my anchoring and fastening clasp, which is preferably made of a single piece of relatively hard but exible metal, the iirst step of whichis the forming of the same into a U-shaped unit as shown in Figs. 30 1 and 4 of thedrawing. This operation formsk an upper depressible free member I I and a lower or base member I2. The blank or strip from which my device is made is shaped so that one end thereof is at substantially right angles to 35 the remainder of the blank and tapers to an end Which terminates in two or more serrations. Said right-angled end portion is indicated by the reference numeral I3, the same being bent at substantially right angles and perpendicularly to the 40 base member I2, as clearly indicated in Figs. 2 and 3, and then is bent horizontally and gradually downwardly to present an inner inclined surface I5 and a right-angled downwardly extending serrated end I6', as clearly indicated in Figs. 1 and 2. I6 indicates the hook as a whole.

The base member I2 is preferably bent along its longitudinal'center to present inwardly a concave surface I I and also has a plurality of upwardly extending integral abutments I8, (shown in the drawing as three in number) along each These abutments may be economically formed by stamping or the like.

'Ihe upper or free depressible member of my device indicated by the reference numeral II is so stamped and formed as to present a concave inner surface I9 opposing the concave inner surface I1 of base member I2. The end of said depressible member II extends to a point in line with the edge of the hook I6 and is formed oppositely to concave surface I9, namely presenting a convex surface 20 toward said hook. The width of the depressible member II is such that the opposite longitudinal edges thereof are the same distance apart as abutments I8 on opposite sides of base member I2.

It will be apparent that due to the yieldability and resiliency of the metal employed in the construction of my clasp, the upper free member I I may be depressed by a users thumb or finger, whereupon a part of the convex surface 20 of the depressible member II will contact and slide along the outer inclined and rounded surface of the hook I6 in the manner shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2 until the same has progressed from the dotted line position indicated by the letter a to the dotted line position as indicated by the letter 1). When said end has passed the dotted line position indicated by the letter b, due tothe twisting stress imparted by the aforesaid movement, said member I I will snap beneath and into engagement within hook I6 to the position shown in dotted lines indicated by thel letter e in Fig. 2.

The clasp of the construction which I have described when in open position is first inserted about one or a plurality of adjacent undergarment straps which usually pass over the shoulder of the wearer, whereuponY said open clasp is slipped longitudinally along said straps to a position adjacent the shoulder seam of an outer garment where the clasp is to be anchored for the purpose of preventing slipping down of the undergarment straps. In actual use the end of the hook I6 is rst placed above or behind the edge of a fabric of a garment, usually the edge adjacent the seam thereof which invariably is present somewhere upon or about the shoulder of the wearer of the garment, as illustrated in Fig. 3, whereafter the member II is bent, twisted and moved in the manner afore-described. Thereupon the edge and outer concave surface of the end of member II clamps and impinges the garment fabric edge against the inside surface of said hook I6, thereby anchoring the fastener into a position where it will remain until manually removed. My clasp is equally effective whether there be one or a plurality of straps, as the construction of my clasp is such as will clamp or clasp one or more straps.

Some outer garments have the inside underlined edges adjacent the seams either hemmed or fastened into a shape of loop-like cross section, as indicated by the reference numeral 2l of Fig. 6, and such improved rounded edge may be likewise clamped to form suitable anchoring means as shown in the drawing.

When member II is depressed and has been moved to proper position to the outer garment edge, as has been described, the undergarment strap or two or more adjacent and superposed straps will be pinched and frictionally impinged y between the longitudinal edges of member I I and the uppermost edges of abutments I8, as clearly shown n Figs. 3, 4, 5 and 6.

Fig. 7 is a plan view illustrating superposed undergarment straps 22 and 23 with my clasp shown in position about and encircling said undergarment straps and its hook-like end fastened about the underlying and free edge 24 of the outer garment 24. It will be apparent that my clasp cannot move longitudinally along said straps, usually due to movement of the wearer, unless manually released from its anchored position.

Fig. 8 illustrates in cross section my clasp III anchored to outer garment 24 and holding an undergarrnent strap 22 in proper position with reference to the wearers shoulder illustrated by the fragment 25. I desire to emphasize the fact that my device is equally applicable and satisfactorily operative with respect toa single strap as with a plurality of adjacent or superposed undergarment straps as in either case the undergarment strap or straps will be frictionally clasped between abutments I8 and the longitudinal edges I9 of free member Il.

I am aware that numerous details of construction may be varied through a wide range without departing from the principles of this invention, and I therefore do not desire to limit the patent granted hereon otherwise than necessitated by the prior art.

I claim as my invention:

l. A flexible metal lingerie clasp of the class described comprising a U-shaped unit including an upper member and a base member, one part thereof comprising an upper free member bent longitudinally to present inwardly a concave surface and its end terminating to present a concave surface upwardly, the base member having a plurality of upwardly and outwardly extending integral abutments along the longitudinal edges thereof; the end of said base member forming a hook which extends at substantially right angles to the longitudinal center of said base member and then turning upwardly and then being inclined downwardly, the extreme end of said hook terminating in a right-angled downwardly extending portion.

2. A fastener for holding a plurality of bands surfaces thereof oppose each other, said base member terminating in an upwardly and perpendicularly extending hook, said hook extending first upwardly, then horizontally and then horizontally and downwardly, the end of said depressible free member being adapted to be depressed and sprung within said hook.

3. A releasable fastening and anchoring device of the class described comprising a U-shaped metal unit, one yieldable member thereof being shorter than the other and presenting an inner concave surface and its end being formed to present an inner convex surface; a second longer member terminating in a hook-like portion which extends upwardly, then downwardly and then perpendicularly and terminates in a plurality of serrations, said free depressible member being depressible and springable into engagement with the insideof said hook whereby the same may be anchored to a fabric or the like.

WM. J. BOMBER. 

